Portable lamp



H. M. GREIST ET AL PORTABLE LAME Filed Feb. 1, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 16, 24- 1,519,131

H. M. GREIST ET AL PORT ABLE LAMP Filed Feb. 1, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 iii/ii.

Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

HUBERT M. GBEIST, WALTER o. nEIsT, AND wIE vrAE NTQOF ew HAVEN, oN-

ECTICUT, ASSIGNORS To THE GREIST v MANUFACTURING COMPANY. or NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PORTABLE LAMP.

Application filed February 1, 1921. Seria1 No. 441,529.

To all whom it may concern: I

'Be it known that we, HUBERT M. Gnurs'r, WALTER C. GBEIsT, and'VVILMAR F. Ll'lN'l, all citizens of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Portable Lamps, of which the following'is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to portable lamps, and more particularly to portable electric lamps.

An important object of the invention is to provide a portable lamp in which the base is constructed hollow, and has foldable supporting means for the lamp stored within said base. The supporting means comprises in the present instance two independent devices, one constructed to sustain the lamp from a nail or screw projecting from a vertical or inclined support, and the other to suspend the lamp from a horizontal support, such as the rail of a bedstead or the like. These two supporting devices are preferably pivoted within the hollow base of the lamp, and are capable of folding therein so as to beconcealed when the lamp base rests upon a horizontal support, such as a table. The supporting devices referred to are therefore entirely enclosed and out of the Way, and are invisible when the lamp rests upon a table, or desk.

Another important feature of the invention consists in a lamp of the character referred to, provided with a shade and base, whose shapes and dimensions are such, relatively to each other, that the base may be nested within the shade for transportation purpose-s. WVith this construction the hollow base is adapted to receive within it the usual socket member of the lamp, and additionally the post which connects the base with such socket member may also be stored within said base. The parts of the lamp are thus capable of being nested together so as to occupy a minimum amount of space for storage and transportation.

Other important features of the invention, including certain details of construction of the parts and combinations thereof,

will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

" In the drawings:

, Figure 1 is a view, inside elevation, illustrating the'lamp complete;

Figu're Q'is a detail view of the base illustrating one of the suspension devices in use;

Figure 8i-s' a similar view illustrating the other suspension device in use;

Figure dis a view in side elevation, somewhat enlarged, "of the shade, illustrating by dotted lines the mode of storing the base and other parts of the lamp therein;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the base, the lamp suspension devices being shown in elevation;

Figure 6 is a partial inverted plan view of the base and the suspension devices:

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of a base, illustrating a 'per'fer'red form of weight therefor, and

Figure 8 is a 'plan view'of the weight shown in'Figure 7 The lamp base 1 is preferably made of sheet metal, and is formed by spinning or otherwise,preferably of the shape shown in Figure 1. The upper portion of the'metal of the base is inturned and formed into a tubular post-receiving sleeve 9, the lower end of which sleeve is provided with u flange 11. The post or plunger 3 fits'at its lower portion snugly within the tubular part 9 of the base, and said post is hollow and receives at its lower end a plug 27, which may be secured within the end of the plunger by a suitable rivet 27.

The plug 27 is preferably threaded at its lower end to receive a wing nut 30, which may be rotated to draw the plunger within the tubular opening of the base until an annular shoulder 28 is drawn t ghtly against the upper end of said base, thereby securing the plunger in position. The upper end of the section 3 of the plunger is hinged at 4 to a section 6, and this end portion is externally threaded at 6* for connection with an internal thread. in the lamp socket member 23, whereby said socket and plunger may be connected, ordiscconnected at will. The socket 23 receives the usual lamp bulb 24, over which is a shade 25, which may be of bell shape or any suitable design, but must have a capacity sufliciont to enclose the base 1 of the lamp. The parts thus described are capable of being disconnected from each other, and the shade and base are of such proportions that the latter will fit within the former, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4-.

The upper portion of the base 1, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, is adapted to receive a weight 12, whose purpose is to add stability to the lamp, and aid in maintaining it in a position of rest on a horizontal support. A metal strip 5 is perforated to receive the tubular portion 9 of the base member, and is shaped to fit against the lower face of the weight 12 and to follow the interior of the base to a point near the lower open end thereof, where such strip, at its ends, has laterally bent ears 13, 17, to which are connected by suitable rivets 14, thesuspending members 16 and 21. The member 16 comprises a'metal plate provided with an opening 18 comprising a circular portion, and a contracted portion 18 The. plate 16 may be folded within the base, as shown in Figure 5, or may be turned outwardly to bear against the lower flanged edge of the base, and to lie in substantially the plane of the lower face of said base. When in this position the plate 16 is adapted to serve as a suspending device for the lamp. the opening 18 being passed over the head of a suitable screw or nail 38, as shown in Figure 2, thereby supporting the lamp from a. vertical surface, such as the wall of a room. Under some conditions it is desirable to support the lamp in this manner, as for example when a person is seated near the wall of a room and wishes to position the lamp so that the light will fall upon the pages of a book, or a newspaper which he is reading.

The ears 17 are connected pivotally with the hook-shaped supporting device 21, which may be folded within the base, when not desired for use, as shown in Figure 5. Re-

ferring to Figure 3, it will be seen that when the hook 21 is swung outwardly upon its pivot 14 so as to lie against the lower face of the rim of the base, it may be employed to support the lamp in a horizontal position from a tubular member, B such as the horizontal top member at the head or foot of a bedstead, or from any longitudinally ere tending rail like member from which it is desired to support the lamp. If supported from the head rail of a bedstead, the lamp may be moved along to different longitudinal positions so as to be located properly for casting the rays of the light downwardly upon a book, magazine or paper which the occupant of the bed may be reading. It will thus be seen that the base of the lamp carries two foldable members, one of which is adapted to support the lamp horizontally from a nail or screw while the other is shaped to sustain the lamp from a longitudinally eX- tending member, such as a rail and that either of these members may be turned out from the lamp base and employed as a supporting device at will.

The supporting member 21, asshown in Figure 5, may be folded within the base and the member 16 also folded within the base and rest against the member 21. By reason of the shape of the. latter the socket 23 may be located therein and the plunger of the lamp comprising the pivotally con nected members 3, 6, is also capable of being stored within the hollow base 1, and may be located to one side of the socket 23. The base containing the socket and plug may then be enclosed within the shade 25 so that the whole lamp occupies a space which is not greater than the dimensions of said shade and may be stored or transported in nested relation.

As illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the weight 32 comprises two segmental members 32, 32, which are connected by a tubular portion 37, and feet 33, two of which may be connected to one of the members 32 and the remaining one to the other member 32. These feet 33 extend downwardly and are preferably provided at their lower ends with pads of felt 35. The weight fits within the hollow base 1, and the feet project downwardly to such an extent that the pads 35 are slightly below the plane of the lower face of the base so as to prevent mar-ring the surface of a table, or other polished article of furniture upon which the lamp may rest. The tubular portion 37 of the weight receives the lower end portion of the plunger 3, which latter may be threaded to receive a suitable wing nut, as illustrated fully in Figure 5. The segmental portion 32 32 of the weight are separated by spaces 31 which, when the weight is fitted within the base, accommodate the metal strip 5 which is located within and along diametrically opposite portions of the base, as shown in Figure 5. The form of weight shown in Figures 7 and 8, as above explained, is adapted and intended for use in connection with strip 5, and the attached lamp-suspending devices 16 and 21, the same as the weight shown in Figure Such strip and lamp-suspending devices are, however, not shown in Figure 7, being omitted in the in terest of clearness of illustration. It will be understood that the strip would be located in the space 31, and would be clamped to the weight by a wing nut, as 30, in threaded engagement with the end of the plug 27, as shown in Fig. 7.

Changes may be made in the proportions lllli of the various parts shown, and in the details of the construction illustrated, without departing from the spirit of the invention provided such changes fall within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable lamp, the combination of a hollow base, a strip of sheet material secured within the base and a lamp supporting device comprising a hook hinged to one end of said strip and arranged to be swung outwardly laterally relatively to the axis of the lamp stem, and beyond a side edge of the base in said direction for supporting the lamp, or to fold completely within the base.

2. in a portable lamp, the combination of a hollow base, a supporting device connected within the base by a single pivot and arranged to swing outwardly laterally relatively to the axis of the lamp stem and to one side of the edge of the base in said direction, and also adapted to be folded within and completely concealed by said base.

3. A portable lamp having a hollow base, a frame member within said base, an independent lamp supporting devices pivotally connected with said frame member, each of said devices being independently arranged to fold within the base, and to be swung outwardly laterally relatively to the axis of the lamp, and to one side of the base, in said direction for respectively supporting the lamp from a horizontal member and from a nail.

d. A portable lamp having a hollow base, a hook-shaped supporting member hinged within. said base, and a supporting member also hinged within said base and constructed to support the lamp from a hook pr nail, said supporting members being capable of swinging outwardly laterally beyond the side edges of the base in a direction which locates said members outside of the periphcry of the base in the direction of a line extending substantially normal to the axis of the lamp, or of folding within the base so as to be completely concealed thereby.

5. A portable lamp having in combination a hollow base, a plunger connected with the lamp, means for detachably connecting said plunger and base, and a shade for the lamp constructed and arranged to completely onclose the base.

6. A portable lamp having in combination a base, a lamp, a plunger supporting said lamp and detachably connected with said base, and a shade for said lamp, the shade and base being so constructed that the base may nest within and be completely enclosed by the shade.

7. A portable lamp comprising in combination a hollow base. a stem connected with said base, a lamp socket connected to said stem and a shade, the base being constructed to receive the socket and stem, and the shade being shaped to completely enclose the base, whereby the parts may be packed for transportation.

8. A portable lamp, having in combination, a hollow base provided with foldable supporting devices therein, one of said de vices being in the form of a hook, a stem and lamp socket connected with said base, and a shade, the hookashaped supporting device being adapted to receive the socket, and the base being constructed and arranged to nest within the shade, whereby all parts of the lamp may be enclosed within said shade.

9. A portable lamp having, in combination, a hollow base, a weight comprising spaced members and a tubular portion fitting within said base, supports projecting downwardly from said weight, and a stem member received within the tubular portion of the weight and having means for detachable connection with said weight and base.

10. A portable lamp having, in combination, a hollow base, a hollow weight within the said base, said weight comprising segmental portions spaced apart, a tubular connecting member and downwardly projecting feet, a frame within said base having oppositely located members disposed between the said segmental parts, lamp-supporting devices pivoted to said frame, and means for connecting said base and weight to a lamp socket.

11. A lamp base constructed of sheet metal, and having a down wardly extended tubular portion at its top, a weight surrounding said tubular portion, a metallic frame clamped against said weight, said frame having inwardl y projecting ears, and lamp supporting devices pivoted to said ears, and arranged to fold within said base, and to turn outwardly for supporting the lamp in a horizontal position.

12. A hollow lamp base having a tubular portion at its upper end, in combination with a weight within said base having a neck surrounding said tubular portion, segmental spaced members connected with said neck, and feet projecting from said members below the lower plane of said base.

13. A hollow lamp base having a central tubular portion, in combination with a weight within said base having a neck surrounding said tubular portion, segmental spaced members connected with said neck, supporting feet projecting from said mem bers, a post in said tubular portion having its end projecting interiorly of the weight, and clamping means applied to said end and securing said post to the base and weight.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of January A.

HUBERT M. GREIST. WALTER C. GREIST. lVILMAR F. LENT, 

